Special sections

In a race to become the largest advertising agency in the Cape, Berry Bush BBDO maintains that it is fast closing in on O&M Rightford, while John Montgomery, O&M's Cape MD, is "happy to accept the challenge".

Geo-targeting, or IP targeting, enables a website to recognize, in real time, a visitor's geographical location. Armed with this knowledge, companies are now looking to structure their site content and language to be more ethnically appropriate.
Alex, a guest columnist for I-strategy, discusses the merits and demerits of geo-targeting on IP addresses.

Steve Gold, of Newsbytes.com, London, reports that in a European study run by Just-sites.com it has been found that websites are underestimating the number of page hits and responses that their banners and other adverts generate. Also, advertisers could be falling short of their potential page hits by up to 50 percent.

The World Association of Newspapers is going digital with the launching of its newest project at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum. The first publications will be offering digital, downloadable versions of daily newspapers through the internet, including all the ads, graphics and photographs the paper product provides.

The Audit Bureau of Internet Standards (ABIS) released figures on 22 February 2001 which indicates that offline advertising works well to drive online trafic !!!. Visit their website and relay this information to your clients.

Web sites are meant to be used, and users approach each Web site with two fundamental needs: to find specific information, and to be informed on what's important. So, Web sites should be designed with that in mind.
Usability is a science, bringing a mix of academic and practical skills to Web site design. Whatever your aim, a well designed and usable site will positively affect the outcome of your initiatives. Conversely, poor site design will seriously impair your results.

Primedia has announced that Paul Nkuna, an existing Director of Primedia, has been appointed as chairman of the board. He takes over from Issie Kirsh, a founding member of Primedia and Chairman for the last seven years. Issie Kirsh will remain on as a director of the company.

In addition to providing access to valid information to two critical target markets (the investment community and the media), a well designed and fully-functional press room can save the company money, provided the target markets have been conditioned to visit the site.

The increase of agency mergers in Cape Town - the White House and Johannesburg's AM-C formed DDB SA, the 3D Agency and IMA came together as Blueprint, and Young & Rubicam acquiredTholet Sievers to form Y&R Tholet - has played a big role in the renaissance of Cape advertising which began last year.